Feeder attachment for threshing-machines.



No. 666,804.. Patented Jan. 29, I90i.

.l. W. HARVE'YJ FEEDER ATTACHMENT FOR THBESHING MACHINES.

(AppTica-tion filed June 23, 189B.)

2 Sheats Shaot I.

(No Hodai.)

INVENTOR No. 666,804. Patanted lan. 29, 19m,

E J. w. HARVEY. FEEDER ATTACHMENT FOR THRESHING MACHINES.

(Alsplication filed Tune 2a, 1898. (No Modal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet g.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. HARVEY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO.

FEEDER ATTACHMENT FOR THRESHING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,804, dated January29, 1901. Application filed June23, 1898. Serial No. 684,242. (Nomodel.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. HARVEY, of Mansfield, Ohio, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Feeder Attachments for Olover-Hullers andGrain-Threshers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, in which Figure 1 of the drawings shows inside elevation part of a clover-hulling machine provided with myimprovement, the frame of the machine being in vertical section. Fig. 2is a front elevation of Fig. 1, the web-frame 59 being shown in itslower position for transportation. Fig. 3 shows in elevation thebandcutters which I may substitute for the picker wings and fingers whenit is desired to use the machine for feeders for feeding wheat, &c. Fig.4 is a vertical section on the line IV IV of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows amodified construction of driving mechanism which I may substitute forthe frictional driving mechanism 21 22 of Fig. 1.

1 is the threshing-cylinder of a separator, which cylinder is or may beof ordinary construction.

2 is a web comprising endless chains or bands traveling in the directionof the arrow for the purpose of delivering the clover or grain to thecylinder 1. Said web carries cross-slats 3 3, having pins which on theupper branch of the web slant in the direction away from the cylinder.The front web-shaft is journaled in a slide-box 4, provided withadjusting mechanism, as shown in Fig. 1.

For the purpose of regulating the feed of the straw from the firsthopper and feedingweb 37, hereinafter to be described, I employ a movingretarder, consisting of sprocketchains or web 6, having fingers 7. Thesechains pass around the sprocket-wheels 8 on the retarder-frame 9 andaround sprocketwheels 10, keyed to a shaft 11, the gearing of thesesprocket-wheels being such as to cause them to revolve slowly relativelyto the speed of the web 37. This gearing comprises a bevelpinion 12 onthe shaft 11 and a bevel-pinion 13 on a shaft 14, which is made in twoparts telescopically fitted together, as at 15, so as to be capable ofbeing elongated or shortened to permit the raising and lowering of theretarder with the adj Listing-bracket 34, hereinafter described. At theother end of the shaft 14 is a bevel-pinion 17, meshing with a pinion 18on the shaft 16 of the sprockets of the web 2, so that the motion of theweb 2 will drive the shaft 14 and the retarder.

The web 2 is driven from the sprocketwheels 19 on a shaft 20, which isdriven by adjustable gearing comprisinga disk 21, fixed to the shaft 20and in contact with a driving friction-roller 22, which is mounted upona shaft 23 with a feather-and-spline connection, so as to be adjustablelongitudinally by a suitable hand-lever 24, which may be held in desiredposition by a notched bracket 25 on the feeder-frame 26, the lever 24being pivoted on the bracket 27 of the frame 28 and the shaft 23 beingstepped in a bearing-box 62 and journaled at the other end in a box 63.The nearer the roller 22 is moved toward the center of the disk 21 thefaster will be the rate of speed transmitted to the shaft 20. The shaft20 has a coiled spring 61 and nut 60, adapted to hold the roller 22 infrictional contact with the disk 21.

29 is a bevel-pinion on the shaft 23, meshing with a bevel-pinion 30 onthe shaft 31, which, as illustrated in Fig. 1, is the pickershaft, butwhich, as shown in Fig. 3, may be provided with band-cutters.

32 32 are the picker-wings, which carry fingers 33 and are driven in thedirection of the arrow, a driving-pulley 31 being applied to the shaft31. v

The retarder-frame 9 may be adjusted vertically by raising or loweringits supportingbracket 34, the adjusting mechanism consisting,preferably, of a gear-wheel 5, operating upon a toothed portion of thebracket and adapted to be rotated by a crank 36, so that the properadjustment of the lower end of the retarder relatively to the straw orgrain delivered to the machine may be readily effected.

37 is the receiving and feeding web,0n which the clover or bundles ofwheat are pitched and by which they are delivered to the web 2. Like theweb 2, this web 37 is fitted with crossslats and rearwardly-inclinedpins 38. It has also a sliding box 39, in which is jou rnaled theweb-shaft 40,0n which are the sprocket-wheels 41. The shaft 42 at theother end of the web is the driving-shaft, and it carries sprockets 43,which are driven from the shaft 20.

When the clover is pitched upon the web 37, it is carried thereby underthe retarderfingers 7 and is delivered onto the web 2, where it issubject to the action of the pickerfingers 33, the retarder serving toregulate the passage or flow of the clover and to prevent clogging.large bunches, and thus makes my self-feeding apparatus a practicalsuccess when the machine is used with tough clover, straw, or flax.

Each of the frames or hoppers of the webs 2 and 37 has two floors, asshown in the drawings, and these obviate any littering or waste ofmaterial. The frames or hoppers themselves are connected with ahingejoint,which allows the hopper of the web 37 to be folded under theother hopper, as in Fig. 2, so as to be out of the way fortransportation.

44 is one of two braces secured to the feederframe 26 by brackets 45 and46 and secured to the separator-frame by brackets 4'7 and 48.

49 is a Windlass on the brace 44, having a crank 50, ratchet 51, andpawl 52. A rope 56 is secured to one end of the brace 44, thence passesaround a pulley 53 on a bracket 54, and thence to the Windlass 49, sothat by means of said Windlass the feeder-frame 26 may be dropped backfrom the cylinder when desired.

The frame 59 of the web 37 is upheld by braces 58, which extendtherefrom to brackets on the braces 44. When it is desired to fold theframe 59 down for transportation, the braces 58 are unstepped from thebracket 70.

57 is a cap which covers the web 2 and the picker-wings 32.

When I use the machine for feeders for feeding wheat, 850., I substitutefor the pickerfingers a series of band-knives 65, set upon the shaft 31and fastened thereon in a series, with interposed washers 66 and an endcollar 67 and the nut 68 holding all the knives in proper position. Theknives are intended to rotate and to cut the bands by which the bundlesof wheat are tied, and each knife as it rotates passes through a slot inthe bracket 69, which serves to prevent any wrapping of the knives orthrowing out of the grain in front of the feeder. When the band-knivesare employed, the retarder may be set between the band-knives and thethreshing cylinder.

In Fig. 5 I show a substitute for the friction-gearing illustrated inFig. 1. 71 is a disk provided with circular series of perforations. Apinion 72 is slidingly mounted on the shaft 23 with a feather-and-splineconnection and is adapted to be moved thereon by the lever 24, so as toengage any of the series of perforations, the pinion being firstdisengaged from the perforations by a lever or handle 73 on the step ofthe shaft 23. The shaft 23 has a knucklejoint 74.

These forms of driving mechanism enable me to change the speed of theparts of the machine connected therewith without stopping the machine.

The advantages of my invention will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art.

The retarder distributes evenly all I claim 1. In a thresher or huller,the combination with a threshing-cylinder, of a continuous feeding-webarranged to carry the grain forward upon its upper face, avertically-adjustable retarder located above the web and independent ofthe cylinder, mechanism for clamping the retarder in any of itsdifferent vertical positions, said retarder consisting of an endlesscarrier with projecting pins, and actuating connections arranged todrive the retarder continuously in the same direction as the web and ata lower rate of speed than said web; substantially as described.

2. In a thresher or huller, the combination with a threshing-cylinder,of a continuous feeding web arranged to carry the grain thereto upon itsupper face, a continuouslymoving retarder above'the web and independentof the cylinder, said retarder comprising shafts located one above theother and each having sprocket-wheels, sprocket-chains carried on saidwheels and having projecting pins arranged to travel with the materialon the web, mechanism for adjusting the retarder vertically and clampingit in its adjusted position, and connections arranged to drive theretarder in the same direction as the feeding-web and at a lower rate ofspeed than said web; substantially as described.

3. In a thresher or huller, the combination with an outer continuousfeeding-web arranged to receive the grain, of a verticallyadjustableretarder located above the inner end of the web, mechanism for clampingthe retarder in any adjusted position, said retarder comprising anendless carrier having projecting pins, mechanism for driving theretarder continuously in the same direction as, and at a lower rate ofspeed than the feeding-web, and a second continuous feedingweb arrangedto receive the grain dropping from the outer feeding-web, and carry itto the threshing-cylinder; substantially as de scribed.

4. In a thresher or huller, the combination with an outer continuousupwardly-inclined feeding-web arranged to receive the grain, of

a vertically-adjustable retarder located above the inner end of the web,mechanism for clamping the retarder in any adjusted position, saidretarder comprising an endless carrier having projecting pins, mechanismfor driving the retarder continuously in the same direction as, and at alower rate of speed than the feeding-web, and a second continuousfeeding-web arranged to receive the grain-

